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ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN

Elden Ring Nightreign is a surprisingly well-executed roguelike that melds well with the core of Elden Ring and even builds on it with a refreshingly rapid pace and spectacular new bosses. It's also excellent with friends, making for a superb co-op experience, but limited matchmaking options and mixed bosses mean it can be as frustrating as it is fun.
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN Game Cover
79%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
optimization, grinding
87% User Score Based on 89,148 reviews
Critic Score 61%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

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ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN Game Cover

About

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a single player and multiplayer survival role playing game. It was developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and was released on May 29, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN offers a fresh standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, reimagining core gameplay with a focus on 3-player co-op. Players command uniquely skilled heroes, whose abilities combine for powerful team synergies. Together, they confront a relentless night and its dangers in a challenging, cooperative experience.

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ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN screenshot
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87%
Audience ScoreBased on 89,148 reviews
gameplay2.6k positive mentions
optimization652 negative mentions
  • The gameplay offers a fast-paced, addictive experience with unique character abilities that enhance cooperative play.
  • The soundtrack is widely praised for its epic orchestral scores, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and emotional depth.
  • The character designs and lore are engaging, providing a fresh take on character development within the souls-like genre.
  • The game suffers from severe performance issues, including frequent crashes and stuttering, which disrupt gameplay and frustrate players.
  • Many players find the gameplay loop repetitive and reliant on RNG, leading to a lack of content variety and diminishing long-term engagement.
  • The narrative is criticized for being thin and lacking the depth expected from FromSoftware titles, with matchmaking issues further detracting from the experience.
  • gameplay
    7,759 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Nightreign" has been described as a fast-paced, roguelike twist on the traditional souls-like mechanics found in "Elden Ring." Players appreciate the unique character abilities and the cooperative gameplay, which enhances the experience, although some criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay loop and the reliance on RNG for loot and boss encounters. While the game offers a satisfying and addictive core loop, it suffers from issues such as server stability, lack of content variety, and unclear mechanics, making it more suitable for seasoned players familiar with the souls genre. Overall, it provides an engaging experience, especially when played with friends, but may not appeal to newcomers or those seeking a slower-paced exploration typical of previous FromSoftware titles.

    • “An addicting gameplay experience; mechanically challenging, strategically rewarding.”
    • “The fact that each nightfarer has a unique skill they actively specialize in makes gameplay feel sharper and more expressive than ever.”
    • “The gameplay loop is simple yet addictive; however, don't expect elden ring or typical fromsoftware play style.”
    • “You think that the lack of content is the only problem in this game until you play co-op. No team communication tools and, most importantly, poor server connection. It's all fun until you get disconnected from the game with unrecoverable sessions for some dumb reason. And hey, guess what? Not only did you lose 50 minutes of gameplay, but you also got a penalty and lost 800 points (4 hours of gaming basically), and this happens regularly at least once every 3 hours.”
    • “While the core gameplay loop has a lot going for it, there are many quality of life aspects which are just horrendous which the developers would rather ignore for some reason.”
    • “The gameplay loop is very predictable, which makes it easy to get good loot. The gameplay quickly becomes redundant in this case.”
  • story
    2,162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Nightreign" is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it features character-specific quests and some intriguing lore, it lacks the depth and environmental storytelling that fans expect from FromSoftware titles. The game introduces a more straightforward narrative approach through "remembrance" quests, which provide insights into each character's backstory, but the overall plot is often seen as thin and overshadowed by the fast-paced gameplay. Additionally, the matchmaking system for these quests can be frustrating, as only one player can progress their character's story at a time, leading to long wait times and a sense of disconnection from the narrative experience.

    • “Each character has a full quest that’s much more direct and narrative-focused than we’ve had in the series.”
    • “I really like the playable characters and the addition of remembrance quests; for the first time, you can feel like your FromSoftware player character has an actual personal story and unique traits.”
    • “The characters have their own quest chains, and the ending even changes at the end of some of them, which is a novelty.”
    • “The story is practically nonexistent – I had no idea what the actual point of the game was.”
    • “The lore/story exploration part is embellishing the gameplay and making it very fulfilling and much more replayable in my opinion, as well as the new challenges (everdark sovereigns).”
    • “The story feels like a shallow imitation of the classic souls-like storytelling, lacking the depth and internal lore consistency of the main elden ring universe.”
  • optimization
    1,887 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback from users, with many reporting severe performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. Players have noted that the game often struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, particularly during intense moments or boss fights, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences. While some users have found temporary fixes, such as adjusting settings or using third-party applications, the general consensus is that the game requires significant optimization improvements to be enjoyable and playable.

    • “Nightreign delivers an extremely optimized gameplay experience that my internal enjoyment algorithms rated very highly.”
    • “The game is well optimized and can be played on Steam Deck.”
    • “Performance-wise, it actually runs better than Elden Ring for me, despite using the same engine and having a smaller map.”
    • “Game has terrible performance that causes outcomes counter to its purpose.”
    • “The high difficulty is consistently spoiled by hitching and awful performance drops during network-based games or the loading of more complex assets.”
    • “Game is so poorly optimized that no matter what fix tutorial you try to do to stop it from crashing, and no matter how low you set the graphics, it'll consistently crash and close the game every 5 to 10 minutes while playing with friends.”
  • replayability
    1,081 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its fast-paced, co-op gameplay and diverse character options that encourage experimentation. However, some criticize the limited map variety and repetitive nature of runs, which can diminish long-term engagement. Overall, while it offers a fun and engaging experience, the replayability may not meet the expectations set by traditional roguelikes, leaving room for improvement through future updates and content expansions.

    • “The new bosses are incredible, the soundtrack is one of my favorites, and the replay value is off the charts.”
    • “Nightreign is phenomenal, and is easily the best souls game for replayability.”
    • “With a huge variety of weapons, spells, characters, and builds, the game offers incredible replayability and depth in combat.”
    • “The replayability is practically nonexistent, the weapon variety feels painfully limited, and the lore is so thin it borders on parody.”
    • “There's a lot of missing potential with Nightreign; the concept of a souls roguelike, when executed well, could have been incredible, but the lack of content and replayability really holds it back.”
    • “The biggest issue in my opinion though, is its awful replayability; all of the areas are the same, the map never changes, only locations on the map change, the enemies, weapons, bosses etc. are always the same.”
  • music
    1,002 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in this game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its epic orchestral scores and haunting melodies that enhance the atmosphere and intensity of boss fights. Tracks like Caligo's theme and the soundtracks for various nightlords are highlighted as standout pieces, often described as some of the best in FromSoftware's history. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant highlight of the game, contributing to its immersive experience and emotional depth.

    • “Each boss has its own soundtrack, and they are all amazing!”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, and all of the nightlords feel like pretty unique challenges and (mostly) enjoyable fights.”
    • “The music swells during boss encounters with the same operatic intensity FromSoftware is known for, while ambient audio heightens tension during exploration.”
    • “The only thing that could be expanded on would be the soundtrack; it doesn't cover all the boss fight tracks, which is a bit unfortunate.”
    • “The music is a little more tame and boring.”
    • “The worst souls game I have ever played in my life, this is so bad, the gameplay is bad, the song selection is beyond disgrace, I had high hopes, this game is made for money, it is a disappointment.”
  • graphics
    906 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and art direction that maintain the dark fantasy aesthetic of the original *Elden Ring*. However, numerous players have reported significant performance issues, particularly on newer graphics cards, leading to stuttering and frame drops even at lower settings. While some appreciate the graphical improvements and immersive environments, others criticize the optimization and the reuse of assets, suggesting that the visuals do not meet modern standards for a game released in 2025.

    • “The graphics are stunning, character designs are top-tier, and the wide variety of skins—especially the ones inspired by the Dark Souls series—add a great touch of nostalgia.”
    • “Nightreign boasts stunning visuals, with detailed environments and atmospheric lighting that enhance the game's immersive experience.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the world is immersive, the boss fights are smooth and satisfying, and the atmosphere is everything I wanted—and more.”
    • “Not a fan of massive waves of low texture particles they've heavily leaned on, which cheapen the aesthetics and are actually often hard to tell what is going on and when to dodge or what to do.”
    • “Game is so poorly optimized that no matter what fix tutorial you try to do to stop it from crashing, and no matter how low you set the graphics, it'll consistently crash and close the game every 5 to 10 minutes while playing with friends.”
    • “Terrible game, ugly graphics (honestly for a 40 euro game made by AAA devs it looks disgusting, and worst of all this game crashes every 2-3 minutes no matter what I do and with a 7900 GRE I far surpass recommended specs.”
  • grinding
    703 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While some appreciate the fast-paced, engaging nature of the gameplay that allows for quick character progression without the extensive time commitment typical of traditional soulslike games, many others find the grinding tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the reliance on RNG for relics and the lack of meaningful rewards. Overall, players suggest that while the game offers enjoyable moments, the grinding can become a frustrating chore, especially in solo play or when dealing with random teammates.

    • “All of this with no grinding, the rush of powering up before the night closes in to defeat the night bosses and finally the nightlord, all packed within a 20-40 min game is so great and addictive.”
    • “You’re not grinding — you’re navigating.”
    • “This game rewards those with natural skill, no farming enemies in low-level areas to overlevel bosses.”
    • “Imagine farming for 40 minutes only to be met by a boss which refuses to land on the ground making it almost impossible to damage him; after dying, however, there is no runback!!!”
    • “The grind for relics feels incredibly tedious and unrewarding, and there's no way to improve them once you have a good one - just gamble over and over, and hope for a new god roll (this can take hundreds of thousands of rolls, no joke).”
    • “The game has extremely boring content, with end-game content that only involves grinding relics (but you can't change relics when selecting a character in-game, which is ridiculous).”
  • stability
    590 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent freezes, stuttering, and crashes that significantly disrupt gameplay. Many users have experienced performance issues regardless of their hardware specifications, leading to frustration during critical moments, especially in boss fights. While some players note improvements after patches, the overall consensus is that the game remains a buggy and poorly optimized experience, making it difficult to recommend in its current state.

    • “Great rogue-like, balanced, bug-free mostly.”
    • “This game runs great on the Steam Deck from day one.”
    • “Game runs great and net code is an improvement over their previous games.”
    • “Generally fun and challenging gameplay but can't recommend due to it being a buggy & poorly optimized mess.”
    • “I cannot recommend Nightreign or the DLC because the game is literally unplayable. I get 20-second long freezes every 5 seconds. I've done every fix, nothing works. It honestly feels like they do not care.”
    • “The game is a buggy, punishing, frustrating mess that tries to be a co-op roguelike but ends up being more of a patience test.”
  • monetization
    431 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions from players, with many labeling it a "cash grab" due to perceived reuse of assets and lack of content. However, a significant number of reviews highlight the absence of microtransactions, stating that all cosmetics can be earned through gameplay, which some players appreciate as a refreshing change in the current gaming landscape. Overall, while some view it as a poorly executed attempt to capitalize on the success of "Elden Ring," others argue that it offers a solid experience without the typical predatory monetization practices.

    • “No microtransactions, in-game currency, or pay-to-win mechanics, just great gameplay, lore, characters, and only $40.”
    • “It is quite enjoyable to play, and maybe best of all, it is not a greedy game and has zero microtransactions.”
    • “There are no microtransactions, and all the skins and emotes are farmable with the in-game currency earned after every run, regardless of its outcome.”
    • “This game is an uninspired, lazy, and shameless cash grab.”
    • “Overall, this game feels like a cash grab riding on a popular title with no real future – however, an easy fix would be to dedicate a team to regular content updates and to address the replayability issues.”
    • “This is not a case of 'git gud'; this is a poor mobile-looking cash grab, and fromsoftware might start going downhill if they don't realize how badly this game has performed.”
  • humor
    364 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Nightreign" is a standout feature, with players frequently highlighting the chaotic and hilarious moments that arise during multiplayer sessions. Many reviews emphasize the joy of playing with friends, where unexpected failures and absurd situations lead to laughter, making even frustrating encounters enjoyable. While some players note that the humor can wear thin over time, the overall consensus is that the game thrives on its comedic elements, especially in cooperative play.

    • “Reviving each other mid-fight, pinging insane loot drops, and coordinating ults to melt nightlords is hilarious and satisfying.”
    • “We've had runs where we cheese a boss with duchess invis + raider bonks, or wipe spectacularly laughing our asses off when RNG screws us.”
    • “Playing with friends who communicate well creates an exhilarating loop of shared triumph and sudden, hilarious failure.”
    • “Some of it is valid, some is unfunny rage bait.”
    • “I say 'let's use this hawk' to which my friend responds 'to where' and we immediately all start crying with laughter at how unfunny it was.”
    • “- kernel level anticheat in PVE game is an unfunny joke.”
  • atmosphere
    295 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Elden Ring: Nightreign" is described as hauntingly beautiful and oppressive, capturing the signature dark fantasy aesthetic of FromSoftware's previous titles. While the game features stunning visuals and immersive world design, many players feel that the fast-paced, roguelike gameplay detracts from the opportunity to fully appreciate the atmosphere and exploration that fans of the series cherish. Overall, the atmosphere remains a strong point, but its impact is often overshadowed by the frantic nature of the gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere is oppressive in the best way—every step forward feels dangerous, every shadow hides a threat, and yet you want to keep going.”
    • “The atmosphere, combat, and feeling of the world instantly pulled me in.”
    • “The atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, and the enemies are challenging without feeling unfair.”
    • “There's no story, no atmosphere, no exploration, no NPCs, no goals to work towards, no crafting, no weapon customization.”
    • “Due to the fast pacing, the usual atmosphere of Souls is missing, and the story is more of a side note.”
    • “It's just this panicked, breathless rush of an experience where none of the story, none of the atmosphere, none of the artful looming tension from their past games seems to exist.”
  • emotional
    170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Nightreign" is a complex tapestry of heart-wrenching narratives, challenging gameplay, and deeply resonant character arcs that evoke a wide range of feelings, from joy to despair. Players report experiencing significant emotional highs and lows, often finding themselves attached to the characters and their stories, while also facing the game's punishing mechanics that can lead to feelings of frustration and emotional damage. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster, blending beauty and brutality in a way that leaves a lasting impact on players.

    • “What really stands out is how Nightreign deepens the emotional weight of the experience.”
    • “The characters and their individual stories are surprisingly complex and well done, stirring up some tragic scenes and some wholesome moments as well!”
    • “The game is an emotional rollercoaster; winning feels solid, losing is painful.”
    • “I cried during the tutorial.”
    • “The emotional moments felt forced and didn't resonate with me.”
    • “I found it hard to connect with the characters on an emotional level.”
  • character development
    102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is highlighted by exceptional character designs and unique abilities, which many players find visually stunning and engaging. However, some critiques point to a lack of meaningful progression and customization options, with comparisons made to other modern games that offer deeper character development. Overall, while the character designs and lore are praised, the gameplay experience may feel limited in terms of personal growth and customization.

    • “The character designs are incredible, and I enjoy the weapon variety, despite there being a lack of new content regarding this.”
    • “One of the things I love about the game is that there's genuine relationships and character development for the nightfarers/player characters, which is something that FromSoftware never really delved into before, and it's such a nice change.”
    • “The character designs and abilities really complement each other and are easy to learn, yet hard to master.”
    • “Modern roguelike-likes do a lot of things better than this; modern co-op games like Vermintide 2, Darktide, and Payday 2 all have much more meaningful progression in both character development and weapons and items. Elden Ring simply doesn't compare to any of them.”
    • “The interaction in this game is non-existent; the quality and quantity of itemization is too little, and the character development is also lacking (outside of lore and skins).”
    • “Having extremely limited character development permanency on top of not being able to customize my character build ruined the game.”
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61%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
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35h Median play time
111h Average play time
10-90h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 488 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a survival role playing game.

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 111 hours playing ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN.

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN was released on May 29, 2025.

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN was developed by FromSoftware, Inc..

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Remnant II, Remnant: From the Ashes, Ravenswatch, For The King, Gunfire Reborn and others.